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* the glass factory. *
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#***=,,,,, several centuries after it had last ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, belonged to us, we went on an outing to ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, the glass factory that bore our family ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, name. it had changed owners many times ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, since our ancestors death, and then ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, stood abandoned for a long while. ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, finally, the natural end station for ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, the buildings that survive: a museum, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, and a gift shop. ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, there's a long time since my family ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, made anything. by many, we would be ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, considered poor. ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, there are two main factory buildings, ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, domed things of several floors, made in ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, reminescent of some cathedral. ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, custom-made glass, of course, large and ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, practical. on the eastern building, ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, some are shattered. ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, the other one is publicly open. there's ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, a museum, with wax figures of my great ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, great great grandfather, or something. ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, various tools (or replicas) laid out on ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, glass of varying thickness. ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, ** ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, ** ** ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, ======= * * ======= ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, ** ** ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, ** ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, other building. the contrast is ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, overwhelming. it must have stood ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, derelict for a long time, windows ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, broken, metallic trash and pools of ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, dark glass all over the floor. no ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, electric lights, but i can see by the ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, light that shines in wherever the dark ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, windows are missing a pane. ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, however, the greatest difference is the ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, higher floors: this building has none. ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, it is one massive hall, stretching away ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, infinitely above me. somewhere up there ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, is some great iron latticework, from ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, where chains are suspended, and parts ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, of machinery has been falling down. ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, there is, in the middle of the great ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, hall, a thin spiral staircase that ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, leads up there. i sneak over there, and ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, take a few reluctant steps. after just ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, a revolution, i notice that for each ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, step the building starts to glow, the ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, bricks turning a dark red, and then ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, orange, all the piled up debree being ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, lit from behind. ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, i stop ready to run down and out, but ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, there's someone else on the staircase ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, with me now, pressed close. he's ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, looking like me, short hair and thin ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, arms, but with ears from some animal, ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, and more disturbingly, completely made ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, of dark liquid glass. ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, ** ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, ** ** ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, ======= * * ======= ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, ** ** ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, ** ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, my fear holds me in place while he ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, starts operating levers and dials set ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, in the center of the staircase. slowly, ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, it starts spinning, circling upwards. ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, it's an elevator! i start to run ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, downwards, but now the liquid boy ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, creature grabs hold of me. i try to ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, shake him off, but he's too strong, and ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, pulls me back up beside him. ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, this time, i turn angry instead. what ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, the hell? who is this guy, acting like ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, this? i reach out my free arm and slam ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, a random lever. some metal bar is ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, suddenly released between us, hitting ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, him on the arm, forcing my release. i ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, shove him off of me, and he falls into ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, the levers, messing them up. ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, curtain is dropped around me. but the ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, elevator also speeds up significantly. ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, the walls are flaring now, yellow, ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, curl into a ball. but then, the glass ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, boy screams, a piercing sound that ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, becomes too liquid, his body pooling ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, down in his now massive tail, and the ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, drop that falls toward the factory ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, floor. ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, keep his body upright. can't reach the ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, while his body is turning into dark ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, himself and the scream is cut short. ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, the last of him rains down. ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, i still can't reach the levers from ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, within my cage. looking up, i try to ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, make out the ceiling, but it's all a ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, whirling sea of colours. below me glows ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, the hellfire of the factory walls, but ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, become still. ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, ** ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, ** ** ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, ======= * * ======= ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, ** ** ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, ** ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, a large clunk shakes my entire body, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, and snaps me back into reality. i'm ,,,,,=***#
***=,,,,,, back at the factory floor, but the ,,,,,,=***
**=,,,,,,, stairs are still moving slightly, ,,,,,,,=**
*=,,,,,,,, clicking in place, carrying me the last ,,,,,,,,=*
**=,,,,,,, few centimeters. i came from below, ,,,,,,,=**
***=,,,,,, somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ,,,,,,=***
#***=,,,,, and i slowly dismount the stairs. ,,,,,=***#
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
@##***=,,, shaking and crying, i make my way over ,,,=***##@
#@##***=,, the factory floor, wading through dark ,,=***##@#
##@##***=, glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ,=***##@##
#@##***=,, i see there's something faint inside ,,=***##@#
@##***=,,, them. embryos? are these eggs? ,,,=***##@
##***=,,,, ,,,,=***##
#***=,,,,, i shudder, and climb back out. ,,,,,=***#
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